ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, recently released a new app by the name of Lemon8 and it's being called a "lifestyle community" and likened to a hybrid of Instagram and Pinterest. Notably, Lemon8 uses the same recommendation engine as TikTok and it offers two ways for users to consume content: a Following column and a For You column with recommendations.
The Gen Z app is for users to want to dive deeper into themes like fashion, wellness, travel, beauty and food, and it mixes both photo and video content. Within the app, users can tag items for ease of shopping.
This new social media app is comparable to a popular Chinese one called Xiaohongshu, ("RED" or "Little Red Book") which has managed to capture 15% of the country's online e-commerce market.
Shoppable Hybrid Apps
Lemon8 is a New Social Media App Combining Aspects of Instagram & Pinterest
Trend Themes
1. Shoppable Social Media - The emergence of Lemon8 highlights the growing trend of social media platforms incorporating shopping features into their user experience.
2. Hybrid Content Formats - Lemon8's blend of photo and video content presents an opportunity for innovative content creators to experiment with new forms of media.
3. Social Commerce - Lemon8's integration of shopping features into a social media app marks the growing trend of social commerce, creating new opportunities for businesses to sell their products through social media platforms.
Industry Implications
1. Retail - Retailers can take advantage of the growing trend of shoppable social media by partnering with social media platforms to make their products easily accessible to potential customers.
2. Marketing - Marketing and advertising agencies can capitalize on the emergence of hybrid content formats by creating innovative campaigns that experiment with new forms of media to engage their target audience.
3. E-commerce - The success of Xiaohongshu and Lemon8 in the Chinese market highlights the opportunity for e-commerce businesses to leverage social media platforms for their online sales strategy.